Deftly blends classic gothic style with a contemporary sensibility.
A social outsider faces a weekend of nightmares, hoping to return to the school and life she yearns for.
English teen Meg eagerly accepts an invitation to a Halloween party at the foreboding Irish countryside estate of her classmates, the Wren twins—Lottie (her best friend) and Seb. She’s seeking to earn redemption for a drunken misdeed that landed her a suspension from their elite London art school, Greyscott’s. Bullied by her wealthy peers for being on scholarship and having a mum who’s a cleaner at the school, Meg also harbors a secret: a forbidden crush on Seb. The story unfolds as Meg’s reflections on the past are interspersed among the present-day scenes, and the growing sour atmosphere at the party forces her to relive the terrible incident and subsequent fallout that led her classmates to mistrust her. Escalating frights—flickering lights, a failing fuse box, tales of a local banshee, unusual paintings, and more—leave Meg questioning her senses and fearing for her life in this simmering, tension-filled novel that hinges on twisted secrets. Hinting at Poe’s classic “The Fall of the House of Usher,” this fresh reimagining explores classism and privilege. The main characters, who are cued white, nod to the complex, oppressive history of English aristocratic wealth, which intersects with Irish legend as mysteries that are as thick as the cloying weeds of a murky lake are slowly and satisfyingly revealed.
Deftly blends classic gothic style with a contemporary sensibility. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: July 30, 2024
ISBN: 9780593703953
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Disappointingly uneven.
A group of teenagers sets out to find answers surrounding their sleepy town’s haunted past.
When high school golden couple Brad and Shelley are found dead at the abandoned Carrington Manor, the residents of the quiet California town of Sanera are panicked. Quarterback Brad was at the old house hoping to film the Carrington Ghoul for his show, Truly Haunted. Seniors Cam, Jonesy, and Amber, along with new girl Buffy, decide to solve the murders themselves, leading them to a series of terrifying discoveries. After an explosive beginning, the plot tapers off into an overly repetitive narrative that contains more telling than showing. Debut author Wood creates characters with thoughtfully imagined backgrounds, such as Jonesy’s mom’s alcoholism, that unfortunately aren’t integrated into the plot or explored beyond giving the teens reasons to be away from home. Similarly, many characters have traumatic pasts that will intrigue readers, but those backstories remain underdeveloped. Still, the action scenes and detailed descriptions of Carrington Manor are engaging. The story contains positive queer representation: Amber is bisexual, and Cam and Jonesy begin to acknowledge their feelings for one another in a growing relationship containing touching moments. The accessible writing alternates among several points of view. Most characters present white, and a mention of Amber’s braids may be intended to cue that she’s Black.
Disappointingly uneven. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9798225006143
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
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